Lascuña fires 69, back on top by 1

ANTONIO Lascuña fired a three-under-par 69 yesterday to wrest a one-stroke lead over Orlan Sumcad going into the final round of the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational at the complex’s Aoki layout in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

The 44-year-old Lascuña gunned down five birdies on a trying day and pounced on the early misfortunes of the overnight leader Sumcad to inch closer to a second championship this season with a 54-hole total of 205.

Sumcad needed to birdie the 16th and 17th holes to salvage a 71 and stay on course for a long-anticipated breakthrough in the pros, even as Zannie Boy Gialon also assembled a 71 to be just two shots off.

Clyde Mondilla stayed alive in his quest to win a third straight championship, shooting a 71 to be four shots behind in the company of Jonel Ababa, who fired a 70, and Jessie Balasabas, the joint first-round leader who returned a day-best 67.

Joenard Rates and Japan’s Ryoki Miki were five shots adrift after efforts of 69 and 71, respectively.

Lascuña drained three of his birdies going out with the last of his two bogeys coming on the 17th after missing the green.

“I was lucky to have started well,” said Lascuña, who won at Luisita two months ago, in Filipino. “The back nine is definitely tougher.”
Struggles on the green
Sumcad, one of the longest hitters on tour, struggled on the greens. After going without a bogey in carving out a splendid 66 that put him in the lead after the second round, he had four yesterday.

“I just couldn’t drop the putts,” said the 42-year-old Sumcad, playing out of Malarayat in Lipa City. “If I can putt well (in the final round), I think I have a chance (to win my first title).”

Mondilla rallied from a terrible front nine with a 34 coming in and kept alive his date with tour history.

No man other than Lascuña has won three straight tournaments on the tour organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments.